Full Throttle

Holden’s Todd Kelly scored a historic win at the Shanghai International Circuit today, winning the first ever Australian V8 Supercar race to be held in China.

Kelly beat Steve Richards to the chequered flag by around 1 second, while pole winner and Holden team-mate, Mark Skaife was third.

“You concentrate so hard during the race it doesn’t really sink in,” said Kelly at the finish, “but when I crossed the line and looked up into the grandstand it was a pretty special moment.

“I didn’t come into the weekend thinking about it that way, but I can tell you it feels great. It’s been a little while coming, we’ve had a bit of a rough trot at the start of this season and it is good to get it all going again. I was a little fortunate that Richo [Steve Richards] went a bit deep and I was able to sneak up the inside as it tightened up a bit.

“It is certainly very special, but the most important thing is to come away with the first round win in China.”

Richards, who led early on, lost the lead to Kelly around lap 11, when he locked up going into the first turn.

“The car wasn’t quite as good when it had some fuel in it, but it got better as the fuel load dropped and then we were able to hunt Todd [Kelly] down,” Richards stated.

“There is no doubt when you have a three race format and have the first race on Saturday that you are little more cautious, we try to figure out the car in race trim and see where we are and not do anything silly while trying to race hard.

“It is hot and humid outside today, so you sweat a little bit more, but it not any harder than usual. It is a good track because there are good opportunities for passing; you can make good ground down the back straight if you get good drive out of the last corner and that opens up the hairpin.”

Skaife meanwhile completed the top three after securing his first pole position of the year following the Top 10 Shootout. Skaife though lost out at the start to Richards and then damaged his tyres and steering after making contact with the Team Perkins Racing car.

Full race results from the first race of the Shanghai China round of the V8 Supercar Series at Shanghai International Circuit.

1. Todd Kelly Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore VZ 41mins 49.4584secs 22 laps
2. Steven Richards Team Perkins Racing Holden Commodore VY 22 laps
3. Mark Skaife Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore VZ 22 laps
4. Craig Lowndes Team Betta ElectricalFord Falcon BA 22 laps
5. Marcos Ambrose Pirtek Racing Ford Falcon BA 22 laps
6. Paul Radisich Team Kiwi Racing Holden Commodore VY 22 laps
7. Jason Bright Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon BA 22 laps
8. Jason Richards Fuchs/Holden/PPG Holden Commodore VY 22 laps
9. Jamie Whincup Fuchs/Holden/PPG Holden Commodore VY 22 laps
10. Greg Murphy Super Cheap Auto Racing Holden Commodore VZ 22 laps
11. Steven Johnson Westpoint Racing Ford Falcon BA 22 laps
12. Garth Tander Kelly Racing Team Holden Commodore VZ 22 laps
13. Russell Ingall Caltex Racing Ford Falcon BA 22 laps
14. Glenn Seton Westpoint Racing Ford Falcon BA 22 laps
15. Steve Ellery Team Betta Electrical Ford Falcon BA 22 laps
16. Cameron McConville Repco Valvoline Cummins Holden Commodore VZ 22 laps
17. Paul Morris Sirromet Lifestyle Wine Holden Commodore VZ 22 laps
18. Simon Wills Team Dynamik Holden Commodore VZ 22 laps
19. Paul Dumbrell Team Perkins Racing Holden Commodore VY 22 laps
20. Paul Weel Super Cheap Auto Racing Holden Commodore VZ 22 laps
21. Jason Bargwanna Larkham Orrcon Racing Ford Falcon BA 22 laps
22. John Bowe Team BOC Ford Falcon BA 22 laps
23. Greg Ritter Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon BA 22 laps
24. Craig Baird WPS Ford Falcon BA 22 laps
25. Brad Jones Team BOC Ford Falcon BA 22 laps
26. Andrew Jones Repco Valvoline Cummins Holden Commodore VZ 22 laps
27. Matthew White Fujitsu Racing Ford Falcon BA 22 laps
28. Anthony Tratt Toll Racing Holden Commodore VY 19 laps

DNF. David Besnard WPS Ford Falcon BA 12 laps completed
DNF. Mark Winterbottom Larkham Orrcon Racing Ford Falcon BA 7 laps completed
DNF. Max Wilson WOW Holden Commodore VZ 6 laps completed
DNF. Rick Kelly HSV Dealer Team Holden Commodore VZ 2 laps completed

Todd Kelly Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore VZ 1mins 51.0737secs Lap 11